INTRODUCTION
The Psychology of Meaning and Suffering
In the realm of psychology, it is widely recognized that the human experience of pain is a subjective phenomenon deeply intertwined with cognition and emotion. Pioneering psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl argued extensively that suffering ceases to be unbearable the moment it finds a meaning. According to his framework, known as Logotherapy, human beings are primarily driven by a "will to meaning," and despair frequently arises when individuals cannot perceive purpose in their adversity.
When pain is viewed as serving a purpose—such as the price of protecting a loved one or a necessary step toward healing—it becomes a challenge that can be endured with dignity. Conversely, when individuals endure unmerited, chronic, or inescapable pain, they are often plunged into an "existential vacuum". If they cannot find a transcendent reason, a lesson, or a constructive stance to take toward their burden, the physical sensation is transformed into senseless suffering. It is this confrontation with perceived emptiness, rather than the neurological intensity of the sensation, that threatens the human spirit.
Ultimately, while medical interventions are necessary to
treat the physiological components of pain, the existential perspective
demonstrates that psychological resilience is rooted in meaning-making. By
discovering a reason to endure, the individual actively reframes their
suffering. The core problem, therefore, shifts from how much it hurts to why
it hurts, emphasizing that the human capacity to find purpose remains our
ultimate defense against despair.
THE ARGUMENT
People get some form of meaning from the real life horrors of life. Being
enriched by horror movies is a mere offshoot of that.
We are talking
about looking inward at one’s own darkness. We know that one finds value in
evil when fingers are pointed outward. That is indirect. We want to explore
direct intimacy with personal individual evil. We will discuss it
psychologically and philosophically. People may say we should add in
spiritual.
Anyway let us proceed.
Discovering a sense of
mystery and power in the "evil" or darkness within one's own heart is a
profound human experience. Here is a breakdown of why that inner darkness
feels so transcendent, magnetic, empowering, and strangely comforting.
The Fascination with Inner Darkness
• Untapped Power: People often equate
their "good" or "best" side with rules, restraint, and compliance, while the
"dark" side feels like raw, unrestricted energy.
• The Allure of the
Forbidden: Taboo thoughts or desires carry a mysterious weight because they
break divine and/or societal expectations, making them feel highly authentic.
The Spiritual
If one feels that violence and malice are at the heart of
the universe or existence one will value the evil within. They feel connected
to something bigger than themselves. Evil leads to competition so if I value
MY evil it does not mean I agree with another valuing THEIR'S. I partly love
it for it is MINE. I make it ME.
• The Shadow Archetype: Psychologist
Carl Jung famously noted that the "Shadow"—the hidden, rejected parts of
ourselves—holds immense creative and destructive vitality.
I would add
that there can be confusion with both sides as we have to always deal with
harmful side-effects.
And Jung warned that no matter how effective and
dedicated one is to creativeness that can change in an instant without
warning. It can, as it were, become toxic creativity.
The good side is thus
dangerous for that reason. A necessary evil is still an evil.
The line is
very thin. And yourvnoticing that leads to productive persons giving up,
feeling alone and discouraged by you.
• Breaking the Persona: Embracing
inner darkness strips away the exhausting effort of valuing or maintaining a
"perfect" public mask, which feels liberating. Or a mask before the divine.
That can remain very private.
But it will be no surprise if it does not.
And if the person acts on it.
It feels magic and that can lead to outward
evil. Evil becomes a kind of spell. Many do treat it as their occult force or
as some kind of magical key.
Evil people who do grave damage do show signs
of magical thinking.
Why?
• The Illusion of Mastery: Acknowledging
internal evil can make a person feel uniquely self-aware, as if they possess a
secret truth that others are too afraid to face.
• Invulnerability
Through Acceptance: There is a subconscious belief that if you willingly look
at or engage with your own darkness, bad luck or danger cannot shock or hurt
you.
• The Rebel's Shield: People often feel that by stepping outside
conventional morality, they are rewriting the rules of reality, assuming the
universe will tolerate their risks because they are being "honest" with
themselves.
• Destructive Transcendence: Courting danger or
self-sabotage can trigger a euphoric rush, falsely convincing the mind that it
can survive any fallout.
We mentioned spiritual. The person may feel and
reason that no matter how foolish evil is, there is an unseen reason why it is
still best to channel it.
Captivity
• Romancing inner evil too much can
lead to self-destructive habits, isolation, and a false belief that one is
fundamentally broken and/or above the consequences of reality. Be cautioned
that all romancing of evil is too much and all in fact do romance it.
Conclusion: The Internalised Horror of Evil
Internalising evil shifts the
focus from external threats to a direct, intimate engagement with personal
darkness. Individuals romance this inner shadow to extract raw power,
authenticity, and existential meaning.
• The Allure: Shedding societal
masks offers a sense of liberating self-awareness and illusory mastery over
danger.The Spiritual Risk: Personal darkness fosters a connection to a chaotic
universe, often devolving into harmful magical thinking.The Danger: The line
between creative integration and toxic destruction is razor-thin, making all
romanticisation a trap.
• Magical thinking need not be obvious...be warned.
One can oppose it vehemently and unconsciously or subconsciously be exercising
it or about to. Opposition can be a hint that it is there.